Behavior Training v. Obedience Training

On an almost daily basis, I am contacted by dog owners who need help with their dog.I’d estimate that about 80% of these callers say something to the effect of:

Caller:“I’m looking to do some Obedience Training with my dog. Is this something you can help me with?”

Me: “Sure can, but I want you to understand that Obedience Training is not the focus of what we do here..we generally focus on Behavior Modification for troublesome behaviors.”

Caller: “Oh, that’s what I meant, I guess. My dog is showing signs of Fear Aggression, I think, and actually just bit my neighbors kid…I thought Obedience Training is what he needs. What’s the difference?”

Well, I guess for some, it’s just semantics. An accomplished Trainer should know the difference but for the average dog owner, they may have only ever heard of the term Obedience Training and not so much, Behavior Modification (or, B-Mod).

What IS the difference?In short…Obedience Training teaches a dog to comply with a Verbal Command provided by the owner (as long as the owner is present) where Behavior Modification allows a dog to learn how to respond to any given context or situation without the need for Verbal Commands or for the owner to even be present.

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Here’s how I see it, with a little help from Wikipedia:

Obedience Training

Obedience Training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context. Basic Obedience Training teaches the dog to reliably respond to basic commands such as “Sit,” “Down,” “Come,” and “Stay”.Obedience implies compliance with the direction or verbal command given by the handler. For a dog to be considered obedient rather than simply trained in obedience, it must respond reliably each time its handler gives a command.Training a dog in obedience can be an ongoing and lengthy process depending on the dog, the methods used, and the skill and understanding of both the trainer and ultimately, the owner.

While I find Obedience Exercises to be a beneficial part of creating a solid and rewarding Leader-Follower relationship and it provides the dog with a set of compliance behaviors that should predict a positive outcome, or Reinforcement, I don’t see Obedience Training to be a viable or effective solution as a remedy to truly troublesome behaviors.

Obedience Training “tells” the dog what to do in any given context, via a Verbal Command provided by the owner/handler/Trainer.

This type of Training would seem to work ONLY when the owner/handler/Trainer is present to provide the Verbal Command

Also, the dog would need to have a “working relationship” with the person providing the Verbal Command in order to comply with consistency on the first command given

The dog will likely comply ONLY if and when the Verbal Command is provided exactly the same way it was used when the dog was Trained.

Behavior Modification provides the dog with the opportunity to learn for himself, which Behaviors will “work” (Reinforcement) and which Behaviors will “not worK” (Punishment) in any given context or situation.

This type of Training works to guide the dog into making the proper choice of what behavior to offer in any given context, without the need for a human to be present to give a command.

Because B-Mod creates a dynamic where the dog learns through Associating predictable Consequences to any offered behavior, soon enough, the Desired Behavior becomes highly consistent.

Through the B-Mod processes of CounterConditioning & Systematic Desensitization, the dogs underlying emotional feelings (Fear, etc.) that have been “fueling” the Undesirable Behaviors can actually be modified to allow the dog more confidence and to feel safer and more secure.This is just not possible by teaching a dog to Sit on Verbal Command.

Behavior Modification will generally last a lot longer and be far more solid and consistent than Obedience Training because with B-Mod, the dog actually believes he “figured out what works” by himself as opposed to being “told what to do”.

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So, how does it make sense to hire an Obedience Trainer or sign up for Obedience Training to solve a Fear-Aggression problem? It doesn’t.

Will training a door-darting dog to Heel on Command prevent him from running through open doors in the future? No, it won’t.

However, this does not mean that Obedience Training is a waste of time…it’s not. It’s a great way to build a solid working bond with your dog built on gentle compliance exercises. It’s just not the type of Training you would be looking for to provide a successful remedy to your dog’s behavioral issues.

I guess if you worked long enough and in countless different environments, over time a truly accomplished Obedience Trainer could potentially get their dog to Sit on Command BEFORE the dog bites someone…but how does this Modify the dogs underlying emotional feelings that are fueling the actual Fear-Response?It simply doesn’t.

The Moral to this post?Be sure to understand what you are “shopping” for when seeking assistance to help you with your dogs behavior.

For dogs WITHOUT Behavioral Issues, Obedience Training can be a great way to enhance the working relationship between owner and dog and build in compliance to Verbal Commands.

For dogs WITH Behavioral Issues such as Aggression, Fears/Phobia’s, Hyper-Arousal, etc. Behavior Modification is the type of training that will actually change the way the dog views his own behavior with the eventuality of the dog offering a conditioned Desirable Behavior in place of the previously displayed Undesirable Behavior. This is all accomplished without the need for an owner to be standing there shouting Verbal Commands.

Closing Summary Opinion:In my experience, when dogs (and humans!) figure out “which Behavior works best” for them in any given situation – they tend to repeat that same Behavior each and every time they are in a similar situation in the future.After all…they figured it out “on their own”. That’s basic premise of all our work here at CBS Inc.

The above portion was mainly for owners of dogs that ALREADY have Behavior PROBLEMS.

This portion below is written for owners who may be seeking their first foray into Training with perhaps a young adolescent or new rescue dog’s first training with this owner.

For the most part, as far as most dog owners are concerned…up until recently there was really only one “type” of training an owner would sign their new dog for – and that was “Obedience Training”.

Today, I was prompted into adding this part to my Blog that I wrote over a year ago, by a potential new client who submitted a Private Session – Basic Obedience Program Training Inquiry. Her selection includes 4 Sessions of Basic Obedience Training conducted at her home. Her 8 month old Australian Shepherd has no behavioral issues. She just wants to establish a strong and solid relationship and I’m simply making an assumption that she thinks Obedience Training is what one would normally select, right?

It’s all DOG TRAINING right?;

What is the difference?

As I feel it’s my “duty” to you and your dog to be as open and honest about what we do as possible. ANY time an owner chooses Private Session v. Board & Train, I simply want to ensure they have all the information & facts.

First, a very quick understanding of the difference between Obedience Training and Behavior Training. In my opinion, they are definitely NOT the same but they both do work to reach the same overall result – Behavioral Balance.

Definitions – in layman’s terms:

Obedience Training – relies upon the constant use of consistent Verbal Commands.

Unfortunately, if the previous Obedience Training did not reach an end result where the dog “obeys” (consistently complies with the 1st Verbal Command) every time – then this Training would be considered largely ineffective.

In short – Obedience Training works by providing constant Verbal Commands in an effort to achieve compliance

Behavior Training – the dog to learns to choose, without commands, which behaviors to offer in any given situation

Behavior Training also, in a much more secure way, allows the dog to create Positive Associations with potentially Fear-Inducing Stimulus it encounters throughout early life.

In short – Behavior Training teaches the dog to choose specific Learned Behaviors to offer in any given situation…without any commands.

The dog actually believes it was his or her idea to Sit in the first place, which makes it so much more reliable and enjoyable for both dog and owner!

Please don’t misunderstand…Obedience Training, when done the “right way” is a great way to strengthen the relationship between owner and dog and a good place to start off when young. However, I am simply cautioning on putting too much “hope” on Basic Obedience work as ensuring a future of Behavioral Balance.

I look at it like this – Obedience Training is like going to the gym. Getting in better “shape” will always give you an overall better outlook. It releases great chemicals in the brain and body and can help you to have some sense of confidence when you can get your dog to do something when he or she is told!

On the other hand, Behaviorism is like the dog having its own “canine consultant” with it at all times who can “guide” the dog into choosing the “right” behaviors for any given situation. It requires MUCH LESS negativity and actually…in Behaviorism – there are NO Corrections! I know, sounds too good to be true…well, after 25+ years of working this with dogs, I can tell you that it’s totally real and true behavior professionals have been training their dogs like this forever!

A dog that “graduates” Behavior Training would walk up to the owner, or any other person for that matter, and quickly and eagerly pop into a Sit before being told. Whereas the dog that “graduates” Obedience Training may need to be “told” several times along with a couple of leash corrections (depending on the training method) before actually Sitting.

Behavior Training requires MUCH more intelligence and strategy on the part of the owner as it’s a much higher level of “training”. But with that comes a MUCH higher level of success and Behavioral Balance!

The Leader-Follower Bond

The Leader-Follower Bond (Nature vs. Nurture)

A dog’s ability and readiness to properly meet the demands of domestic life is only half provided by its biological predisposition (Nature) – the other half is realized by the effects of socialization and training (Nurture). Without the guidance of a calm, assertive and effective Leader, a dog’s social adjustment and ability to respond well to an owner may suffer irreparable damage.

A calm, consistent and assertive owner can assist in guiding a dog’s choices until it is properly socialized and trained to make the correct and “balanced” choices on its own. In order to accept our Leadership, a dog must adopt a submissive and cooperative attitude at a very early stage of development and remain that way for the rest of its life.

In order to obtain true Leadership status, one must establish social limits (e.g. not permitting dogs to jump up, bite hands (mouthing), not pull on leash, etc.), maintain personal space limits, and develop a cooperative relationship based on gentle and positive compliance training and be able to apply corrective measures when necessary. As a result of these efforts, the dog will naturally become increasingly affectionate and cooperative.

Once basic social boundaries are established, other behavioral objectives are rapidly achieved by presenting or omitting rewards, such as affection, food, play and other activities or resources that the dog may desire to obtain.